The
In Crowd, like make most true Jamaican bands (as compared to vocal groups), had both a day and a night job. While the sun shined they worked as sessionmen (notably for
Glen Brown), in the evening they took to the stage. A little more unusually though, they had a songwriter in their midst,
Fil Callendar, who also doubled as their producer. Heavily influenced by the lighter side of the American R&B scene --
the Stylistics,
Chi-Lites, et al, the
Crowd created reggae with a decided urban flair, which proved popular on both sides of the Atlantic. "His Majesty Is Coming" landed in the U.K. reggae Top 10 in late 1976, and remained there until "We Play Reggae" pushed it aside the following June, which in turn eventually gave way to the equally successful "Back a Yard." Invariably, all three appeared on the band's debut album, titled after the first hit, with "Born in Ethiopia," a further Jamaican smash single tossed in for good measure. The band's sublime, sweet harmonies, bubbly rhythms, and arrangements edged with funk, blues, or urban flavors went down easily. Their conscious lyrics added weight, with numbers like "Beg You a Ten Cent," "Slave Ship," "You Facey Whitey," and "Power of the Spirit" providing real bite. This album was the band's crowning achievement, although a series of further strong singles from the band and a solo
Callendar followed. This two-CD reissue includes virtually all of them, adding a further 24 tracks to the original album's 11. Several of the songs appear in their splendid, extended "discomix" form, a couple with DJ versions attached.
Callendar's "Sweet Man," a major British reggae hit in 1980, his "Rub a Dub Time," and "Life" are among the highlights, as is the
Crowd's "Marcus Garvey's Back in Town," "Add a Little Light," "Getting Cozy," and "Riding High," all of which hit big in Jamaica. Only the omission of "Milk and Honey" and "Island Music," the latter another Brit hit, stop this from being the ultimate
In Crowd compilation. ~ Jo-Ann Greene